In the eye of the storm
by LegionOfMany
Summary: Sometimes we have to realise that the reason we survive is not the goddesses mercy... (( Vaati x Reader drabble! Rated T to be safe ! This is more or less my first time uploading a fanfiction/drabble in english, so please be lenient ;w; ))


Today had started completely usually. Getting up early you had prepared for your work, together with all other castle servants. Given that it was not only Princess Zelda's birthday, but also the celebration day of her engagement with Sir Link there had been a lot of work waiting for all of you.

While most others were busy with preparing the banquet and the ballroom, your duty was to take care of the laundry. Not exactly to most exciting job, sure, but now that you thought about the stress all your co-workers were under you supposed that you've been rather lucky.

Though... by now you weren't that sure anymore. Perhaps it would have been better if you'd had been with them too, if someone else would have been in your place instead.

It started when you were collecting the bright white linen that hung outside to dry, when a loud crash came from the direction of the ballroom. From where you were standing you could see the whole building shaking and crumbling, broken pieces of stone falling to the floor while dust and dirt whirled around in the air.

All of a sudden it seemed as though all air would get sucked towards this part of the castle, a strong storm appearing out of nowhere and knocking you off your feet, tearing the blankets from your grasp and dragging them towards the immense tornado that started to build.

The raging wind was taking your breath, making it almost impossible to breathe for you. Helplessly your clawed at the floor, digging your fingers deep into the grass and earth, ignoring the pain that came with this action. It was nothing compared to the pain you would experience if the wind would tear you away from the surface and smash you against the crumbling castle walls.

Pressing your eyes shut you desperately clung to the ground, gritting your teeth together and pressing your body tightly against the earth. Around you was noise - ear-splitting noise of a castle breaking apart, wood splitting and far away screams that immediately got carried away by the wind.

Something fell onto the ground next to you with a loud thud, but you didn't dare to move a single inch, afraid that you would lose your fight against the force of the air around you. You were frightened to the point where you didn't care what happened to everyone else around you, as long as you would only survive. Soundless prayers were falling from your lips, begging the goddesses to spare your life, to let you get out of here alive.

You did not know how long the unnatural storm went on, but just as your numb fingers were about to lose the strength to anchor yourself to the ground any longer the wind abated just as quickly as it had come, leaving your trembling frame and eerie silence behind.

Taking a deep breath you somehow found the strength to raise your head and look around you - only to be frozen in shock and disbelieve.

Where once the castle and the town had been there was nothing more but a desert of destruction, the biggest pieces that were left over barely bigger than a horse. A boulder the size of a sheep had missed you by mere inches, laying to your left.

The once lively town and beautiful castle were completely gone, a wide open field the only thing that was left over from it. With shaking limbs you forced your aching body up onto your feet, standing there, trembling but alive. By now you felt horrible about it, but at that moment all you could feel was happiness and gratefulness - gratefulness towards the goddesses that they had listened to your prayers and protected you. _You were alive._

It was then that you realised that you weren't the only survivor... a few hundred feet away from you stood a tall young man, clad in purple, blue and red, looking at the destruction around him. You couldn't see his expression from this distance, but judging from his posture he seemed to be completely unfazed.

Raising his right hand he looked at two big objects, dangling from golden strands, firmly in his grip. Nausea crept up inside of you when you realised that these objects where the heads of the Princess and Sir Link, blood still dripping from them. And, now that your mind was starting to clear up again, you also saw that there wasn't a single speck of dirt or blood on the young man - in fact in a radius of about five feet around him, the ground was completely clean, a perfectly circular piece of rock below his feet. You recognized it as the marble floor of the ballroom.

Panic took over as you realised that this _being_ was responsible for the destruction around you - in such a short time this man had reduced a strong castle and town to nothing more but rubble and didn't even seem to be exhausted from it. Whatever he was, you knew that there was no chance of escaping if he was to spot you.

The thought wasn't even finished in your head, when the man tossed the heads aside, wiping his fingers clean on a piece of pink cloth - a piece of Zelda's dress, you realised. Allowing the cloth to get carried away by the wind the young man raised his head and stared directly at you.

For a split second neither of you moved, both merely staring at each other, before you finally regained your senses, turning around and running desperately, making a mad dash for the woods. Even though you knew that you would never reach them your instincts did not allow you to simply stand there and wait for death, and so you ran as fast as you could.

You didn't even make it a fifth of the way when two arms shot out on either side of you, wrapping themselves around your body and pulling you back with an iron grip. Immediately you were petrified, staring straight ahead with wide open eyes. Your heart was beating so hard in your chest that you didn't doubt a single second that your predator was feeling it through the thick cloth of his tunic.

He leaned down to your trembling frame and you could feel his warm breath on your skin as he did so. For a while he was quiet and you could feel his gaze burning on you, before a quiet chuckle escaped him.

**"I hadn't expected any survivors, to be honest. And most _certainly_ not a simple maid."**

His voice was calm with hinted amusement inside of it, smooth like silk. His accent sounded strange to your ears, his choice of words outdated and yet there was no doubt that it was his native language. This man was a hylian.

**"I will release you now, and you will not move a single inch from where you are standing."**

His tone of voice clearly showed that he was used to giving orders - and them being followed without hesitation - and in your fear you merely managed to nod.

Releasing you from his iron grip the stranger stepped away from you, and you know that now was your chance to run again, but your legs did not obey your demands and so you could only stand there, frozen in place and waiting for what he would do to you.

The man circled you, and once he stepped into your view you couldn't help but to gasp in amazement. He... this being was absolutely _breath-taking._ His face was the perfect combination of masculine-handsome and feminine-beautiful and had a pale complexion with a hint of purple in it. Long lavender hair framed his face, covering one eye completely and cascading down his back, fanning out on his cape. He was taller than you and slim built, his whole appearance radiating an aura of natural elegance.

With a bright red eye, framed by long black eyelashes, he looked down at you, amusement clearly visible on his face as he regarded your expression of awe. You did not know who this man was, but if he were to tell you that he was a god you wouldn't have doubted his words.

**"Your expression does not exactly suit the situation you are in, girl. But nevertheless I accept your unspoken compliment."**

Against your own will you could feel your cheeks burning and you were sure that by now they were a deep red colour, and quickly you averted your gaze, fixating it onto the splintered leftovers of a tree instead.

"W-Who...are you?"

You were amazed that you actually managed to utter these words, even though your voice was week and shaking. The stranger chuckled again, the sound sending shivers down your spine.

**"My name is Vaati, but you will refer to me as 'Milord' or 'Lord Vaati'."**

Fingers gripping your chin tightly Vaati forced you to tear your gaze away from the tree and look at him again instead. His grip was much stronger than one would have expected from his frail looking features and once again you realised that this being was more powerful than anything else you ever encountered before.

**"Now, may I inquire what the little survivor of my wrath is called?"**

His expression and tone of voice did not suit his grip and your surroundings at all. Gentle and amused he looked at you, a light hint of curiosity swinging in his words. Something told you that Vaati was the sort of man that would crush an entire kingdom with a smile on his face - just as he did mere minutes before.

" [-]...!", you replied in a shaky voice, your own name sounding strange to you. Why did he need to know your name if eventually he'd kill you anyways...? Vaati hummed quietly.

**"[-], was it?"**

The way he spoke your name caused another shiver to run down your spine and the tips of your fingers started to prickle like you were under electricity. Unable to say anything you merely nodded, which in response caused the young man to flash a smile at you, though said smile never reached his eyes.

**"Consider yourself lucky, my dear girl. I had planned to take a souvenir from the very start, and I think you'll just be sufficient."**

You felt like someone kicked you in the guts as you stared at his cold smile with a horrified expression. Now you understood why the goddesses had saved you alone... it was not out of mercy, it was as punishment. Punishment for your selfish wish to be saved alone, ignoring what the fate of your brethren would be. And now, in a sick and mocking way, you had survived, only to realise that it would have been better for you to perish with the soldiers and servants.

Laughing quietly Vaati wrapped one arm around your waist, pulling you against his chest while running the fingers of his other hand through your hair in a mocking gesture of sympathy.

**"Shh shh."**, the sorcerer cooed into your ear as the wind started to circle around you, carrying dirt and dust with it and creating a wall that shielded your surroundings from your vision.

**"I will take good care of you, my little kitten."**


End file.
